Resident Ride
by AtomicLithium
Summary: Maximum is taken in by Umbrella Corporation, who want nothing more than to experiment on her unique DNA recombinant.
1. Chapter 1

Dawn is the most beautiful time of day, and you can fight me about this opinion.

Gathered around the table was my beautiful family; Fang, who was as strong as he was silent, and had mysteries even I had yet to process. Then, sitting across from him, was our daughter Phoenix. She was born with wings, like us two, and her personality flamed like the color of the bird from her namesake. She reminded me of Angel, quite naturally, who was sweet as all get-out but oftentimes shone brighter than all six of us together.

Our family had not always been so small. There was Iggy, Nudge, and the two actual siblings The Gasman (Gassy for short, I'm sure you can guess why) and the youngest, Angel. We had escaped from the lab where we were made, literally designed, almost 14 years ago. Ever since then, we had to work together to evade the lab's soldiers at all costs, careful not to ever be captured again.

Very long story short: we had been captured again. Multiple times. The latest, however, was only a couple years ago. Since having our daughter, the three of us moved into a place together, effectively splitting the group and throwing our relationships into turmoil. As far as I knew, the other half of the group stayed together, until they were caught by the lab's most evil specimens: what we called Erasers. Our manhunt for our family members commenced, including Phoenix, who was only four at the time. Hell, if you spend your life in constant guard, you better start early.

News spread that a facility in remote California had exploded in a fiery ball that lit up the night sky. Our only lead to our loved ones, the location of the School, was demolished into the ground it belonged in. Since then, there was no glimpse of hope leading us to believe they got out alive. Our scope of the area proved that everything in a 50 mile radius had been completely destroyed.

I don't think about that now, but you better believe I still hope to God they somehow made it out.

"Eggs?" I asked Phoenix, wiping the awful memory from my vision. She sensed my troubled nature, like she sensed everything else. I encouragingly held out the pan in front of her, spatula ready to scoop.

Her eyes glistened with early morning hunger at the slightly overdone scrambled eggs, and held the plate out. I scooped a generous amount next to her equally generous (and equally overdone) pancakes. The food bill was sky high in this household, what with all the calories each of us needed.

Fang quietly read the newspaper, a fatherly habit I admired. Unique in his own right, he still was the greatest father and husband I could ever imagine. The fathers and husbands I knew of only came from television anyway.

"Did you want to talk about anything, love?" He inquired, the endearing name fluttering butterflies in my chest. I bit my lower lip and glanced at Phoenix, who was happily munching away.

"I just have this feeling..." I let my voice trail into silence. Fang set down the paper and watched me intently.

"We all have a feeling. But we're risking our lives researching dead end leads. Once we find something solid, we'll look again, okay?"

I sat on my place at the table, in between the two, and took Fang's hand when he outstretched it. Phoenix did the same, and I embraced her hand as well. It almost looked like we were praying, and I even said a few words to whatever God might be out there.

In that moment of peace, with the sun shining on my back, my eyes flew open, and both Fang and Phoenix cocked their heads to hear the incoming shuffle.

We lived out in the middle of nowhere. No one should have known we were here.

The glass window shattered behind me, and I protected Phoenix from the flying glass shards. Fang immediately went into offensive mode, pulling out a pistol we had stored in the linen closet next to the kitchen.

"Mama?" Phoenix whispered, fidgeting with something on my neck. I looked down, unable to see what was sticking out the side of my jugular. I ripped it out, gazing down at the high tech, small arrow that fit in the palm of my hand.

The bullets that Fang fired at whoever was attacking us started sounding farther and farther away. I tried calling his name, but my mouth weighed a thousand pounds. He heard whatever came out, however, and rushed to my side just as my whole body began to feel numb. I slouched over in his arms, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"What is it?" He shouted over the hail of semi-automatic bullets that wreaked havoc on the side of our house. Pushing through the fatigue that swallowed me, I dragged Phoenix under the table, using all of my remaining energy. He pried open the hand that held the arrow and threw it across the room.

I was dead weight by now. My eyes were closed permanently, it seemed, but I could still hear Fang through the fog.

"Max. Max! Stay with me! What did you fuckers shoot her with?!"

If only we had the rest of our family, maybe they could have helped me from what was to come. And it was something far worse than the School could ever dream to be.

 **W/N:** Hello :) Welcome to the only story of its kind: a crossover between the Resident Evil Series and the Maximum Ride books. I actually have no clue if this story is gonna get any views, but I'm going to post it anyway, since I've been working on this storyline for over three years!

It makes sense to me, really, to combine Resident Evil and Max together. Both have their base in science fiction with a heavy load of genetic experimentation. Max, who has been experimented on herself, gets thrown into the world of BOWs and Albert Wesker. Makes a very intriguing pair if I must say.

A little backstory on my thought process: the first thing you should know is that I rarely work on one thing at once, and even more rarely work on things in order. So far, this story, which I've dubbed the First Installment, has 14 chapters! I've already worked on a few chapters (again, nowhere near in order) and this first chapter you've read just now I had literally opened up fanfiction and began writing without very much forethought. I know exactly where this story is headed, but I like to see where it'll take me apart from my original planning.

On a side note, I'd love for you to rip this fic apart with all the constructive criticism you got. No hard feelings: if I can learn from your wisdom, I will.


	2. Train to Hell

Detecting constant movement awakened me from unconsciousness. I opened my eyes and panicked for a second, realizing that my head was bagged with a heavy burlap sack. Eyesight... probably okay.

Not only that, but I laid on my side with handcuffs restraining my arms behind my back, as well as chains around my ankles. The room itself was silent, but with my ear smushed to the floor, I clearly heard roaring metal wheels across metal tracks. The bouncing gave me a clear impression that I was on a train headed to hell knows where.

Being without vision is a major obstruction against an escape plan. I had literally no information on my surroundings, where I was headed, or if the School was taking me with them in the afterlife.

And I really freaking hoped my family is alright. They hadn't seemed to be shot with the toxin I was, but they could have been shot with worse. I wanted to scream, to cry, but the chances of escape were better if I stayed calm.

A quick yank with my wrists gave me bad news. I was hooked to the floor! After testing its strength several times, I was still limited to very little motion.

I shut my eyes again, diverting all concentration to listening to my surroundings. My breathing slowed, and I noticed fresh, thinner air, a marked sign we were traveling through mountains. Other than the train itself, I heard almost nothing - no traffic, solely wildlife.

It's all too familiar. Rocky Mountain air, just like the air I thrived in while living in these mountains 14 years ago. The crispness was almost joyful, if I wasn't being kidnapped.

Repressed memories stay repressed as I figured out what I was going to do. The School was destroyed, which meant my information, a secret hidden file, was still out in the world somewhere. As far as I had known, I was dead to the world. Well, we all were, until the other side of my family was captured again. Any evil corporation besides the School was probably on the hunt for us.

The bumpy ride jolted me to the side far enough that my head banged against something hard. Seizing this opportunity, I used this unknown surface to ease the cloth from my head.

Just as I expected, the tops of coniferous trees line the view from my cabin's window. Early spring still capped the pines with old snow, and the cracked window let the needle's fragrance waft in.

Upon a strained look around the room, I was placed in the middle of booth seats, the handcuffs attached to a metal hoop in the floor. With a swift tuck of my legs, I easily slid them through my arms, so my arms lay in front of me. Have I ever thanked my body for being so goddamn flexible? Well, I'm thanking it now.

Now was the hard part: handcuffs. My shoulders had enough range to get this far but no way my hands were fitting through the tight squeeze. I may have been stronger than any grown man, but metal was one true weakness.

I began to scream for help, as if I believed help could actually come. Shuffling of boots came my way, and in seconds men with rifles stood over me, ready to shoot.

"Don't bother," another man came in the room, pushing past the guards. "We're hundreds of miles away from any sort of civilization. You may want to reserve your energy."

I look up at the relatively stout but short man, who looked younger than his years on account of the scruff of brown messy hair laid across his forehead. He wears a - shutter - lab coat, distinguishing himself the leader out of the men. He waves for the guards to stand at ease.

Once he crouched down, picking up the sack that was once over my head, he chuckles. "I was hoping to keep the destination a secret, but you were bound to get it off eventually. We should have tied it tighter." He pauses to get a feel of my mood, and I give him nothing. "My name is William; Dr. Birkin for short. We know all about you, Max."

"Who's we?" I ask, failing to keep panic out of my tone.

William gave an awful smile. "Umbrella Corp., of course." He moves his lanyard card closer so I can inspect. "You must know of us. We're the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world."

In fact, I hadn't heard of them. When confusion arose from my expression, he continued. "Perhaps not, we try our best to keep our business private. We can't let the media know what we're really up to."

He ended the sentence with a wink, and it took all of my willpower not to spit in his face. I do it anyway.

Jolting initially at my gesture, he took a napkin out of his pocket like it had happened before. "That's alright, Max. You don't have to like us. With your cooperation or no, we will get what we want."

William stood without taking his eyes off me as if I'm already his prized creation. When I remained silent, he gave me another smile and left me with one more statement.

"You're special to us Max. Very special. Don't forget that."

The sack was left off for the rest of the train ride but put back on after we were close to our destination. William never came back for me, it was the guards who ordered me off the train and into a musty smelling building.

From there we drove a couple miles farther into the rocky terrain, but I still knew where we were relative to my surroundings. I have the internal compass of a bird, obviously.

After only a couple of minutes of driving, we stop at another building. They unload me from the trunk where I was thrown and drag me into the entrance.

"Maximum Ride! Our favored guest," an older man bellowed. The sack is taken from my head and I looked up at the prideful man. His white, curly hair bounced as he laughs. "We've heard so much about you, it's only fair to introduce ourselves. I'm Oswell Spencer, and the man behind you is the top scientist in Umbrella, William Birkin. Umbrella has quite the underground reputation for genetic experimentation, as you'll soon come to find out."

I go to lash at him after the words 'genetic experimentation' but met by stronger forces than I; the guards hastily pulled me back.

A man, who I just now noticed, stood in back of Oswell. He peered over his shoulder, really, keeping his distance away from the strange creature. His powerful stature made me wonder why I hadn't noticed him sooner. In another time, in another place, if he wasn't outright evil, I could have found him handsome.

The strength of my memories with Fang flooded back, as did my anger and tears.

"What you do is evil. You and your company don't deserve to exist."

Oswell's eyes practically shone. "Sure, we may a little out there, but I employ only the smartest and the strongest. You can be employed by Umbrella, or you can serve Umbrella. It will be your choice."

"Those who are able to make choices usually aren't bound by their hands and legs," I sneered. Oswell's smile seemed to never go away.

Oswell motioned to the guards, who undo both chains. My mind was immediately on high alert, looking for escape routes.

I realized I'm in some sort of mansion, with a grand staircase directly in front of us, winding towards the upper floor. To my left I saw a decadent dining room. Hard to imagine any friendly family dinners going on in there.

"I see your gears turning, Maximum. Don't think about escape. Not only is it impossible, but you'll never get out alive. We need you alive."

At least, for now. I could practically hear how the rest of that sentence goes. I've heard it before, many times.

My adrenaline refused to slow. Every muscle in my body was ready for a fight, but I knew I wasn't any match for men wielding guns a few feet away from me. Nothing is faster than a bullet, except maybe the words out of Nudge's mouth.

God, how I missed them just then.

"We won't treat you like a prisoner if you cooperate fully. However, acting out will get you into serious trouble. Please, take her to her room. Get her settled in.

The guards backed off and William steped forward. He pointed to a closed door near our right. "Through there are your quarters. After a long hallway, we'll be there."

Shuffling through the doorway, giving Oswell one last unsavory look, and the mysterious man one last gaze, we made our way through a large room with statues on every wall. Through another door was the hallway William must have been talking about. It winded to the left and a solitary door stood at the end.

Some quarters, I think to myself, gazing upon the barren room. Other than another door which I assumed led to a bathroom, I had a bed and a bookshelf. Both barely fit. I assumed the bathroom was as windowless as this room.

"This is where you'll be staying. Feel free to read, if you wish. Mr. Spencer believes reading is the key to intelligence."

I snorted. "He's implying I'm dumb?"

William shot me a wry smile. "Not much of a reader, are you?"

I walked to the shelf and examined the contents. Most are of the non-fiction science type, but then the rest are science fiction. How fitting.

"I'll make do, since this seems to be my only form of passing the time," I grumbled.

"Very well. The bathroom is to your right. We'll get you when we're in need."

He left as quickly as he arrived, of course locking the door behind him, and I seized the opportunity to quietly explore the bathroom. Toilet, shower, and sink: the common bathroom appliances. Shit, they even threw in a roll of toilet paper for free. To my amazement, there was one frosted window, barred with iron.

The feeling hit me like a ton of bricks, one that I hadn't felt in a long time. Claustrophobia set in like an elephant sitting on my chest.


	3. The Wesker Project

"Albert, would you be a dear and get me another glass of wine?"

Playing with his toy cars near where his mother was lounging by the pool, Albert Wesker looked up to see an extended arm holding out a nearly empty wine glass. Knowing what would come of him if he disobeyed, he set his toys down and grabbed the glass.

"Red or white, mom?" He asked, peering blankly into the sunglasses she wore. Although he couldn't see her eyes, he knew they were closed. Dozing with wine in her hand was Cynthia Wesker's favorite past time, and her bikini clad figure showed no sign that she was a day over 40.

"Red, please." As Albert walked towards the house, he heard her call out, "And a biscotti, if you will!"

He never knew why she prefered to dip biscotti in wine rather than coffee. He shuttered at how it must taste.

The decadent Spanish manor the Wesker family owned was just outside of Raccoon City, a small town in a valley of the Rocky mountains. Albert had lived there, in the northeast suburbs, his whole life. Mom, dad, and no siblings to be heard of.

Albert didn't mind the lack of attention from his mother, but wouldn't mind a brother to play with. His father, however, gave him all the attention in the world, after he got home from his horticulture specialist job at the Raccoon Zoo. Not only did he teach Albert everything, but from time to time they'd work on cars together or even practice at the shooting range. An eight year old shooting a gun oftentimes rewarded him with strange looks, and glares towards his father.

The Weskers knew their only child was wise way beyond his years. They offered him only the best education, which Albert accepted with an open heart and an open mind. Soon enough, they thought, he would be smarter than both of them combined, if that wasn't already the case.

Reaching the basement door, Wesker ascended down the stairs to their wine cellar, separate from their main basement. Of course, their collection of wines ranged from a measly thousand dollars to more exquisite ones retailing at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The expensive ones were housed in the far, dark corner of the basement; Albert made his way there, figuring his mother was drinking her favorite blend of Cabernet.

He set the glass on the bar next to the shelf of expensive red wines. He grabbed the Cabernet, one which Albert knew if he spilt just one drop he'd get a belt to the ass, and began pouring it carefully. A small sparkle of light shone off something behind the bar, catching his attention. Once he was finished pouring, he corked the wine and put it back in its place.

It was a tiny little brass handle, he soon came to find, and he set the glass aside to move the bar. It was heavy; he took several minutes shoving it away and he knew his mother was impatiently, and likely suspicious, waiting for her drink. Once curiosity hit the boy, it was impossible to peel him away.

Albert reached for the handle, but whatever it was, it seemed nailed shut. Upon further inspection, without finding any nails or staples, he gave it a few quick yanks, the drawer creaking open on the third try.

Except it wasn't a drawer as Albert expected. Inside of the door there was a tiny room, impossible to see the contents in the dimly lit basement. Albert was able to crawl inside, and hit his head as he tried to stand. Staying on his knees, he aimlessly palmed the sides for some sort of light switch.

In the middle of the room he knocked his head on something hard. Finding a small string, he tugged it and a shoddy, warn light bulb illuminated the compat crawlspace. Alas, Albert's curiosity reached peak level when only one small file cabinet sat at the end. Quickly crawling towards it, he gently opened the single drawer and gazed at the contents.

Inside were seemingly useless files, Albert rifling through them until coming across a folder entitled with his own name. Eyes bugged out of his head, he expected to find something boring, like school records. What he found was so much greater, and as he divulged deeper, more and more questions started arising.

 ** _Albert Wesker_**

 ** _CONFIDENTIAL_**

 _Gender: Male_

 _Birth Name: [REDACTED]_

 _Birthplace: Akron, Ohio_

 _Relocation Place: Raccoon City, Colorado_

 _Birth Date: April 20, 1960_

 _Relocation Date: April 27, 1960_

 _Birth Parents: [REDACTED]_

 _Assigned Parents: Cynthia and Tom Brutran_

 _Notes: Albert has shown great promise over the other children, growing at an exponentially higher rate than all the other Wesker children. I expect him to join us at Umbrella at a fairly young age. He is to be given the best care and education available, and kept in the nearby town Raccoon City. Under no circumstance are his birth parents able to contact him, and/or told about the Wesker Project. It's best we keep the boy in the dark as well._

 _-Oswell Spencer, 1970_

Albert flipped feverishly through the rest of the pages, only coming across several paragraphs of more redacted content. He made a mess of the rest of the files in the drawer, his questions hauntingly unanswered.

For years to come, Albert's confusion grew, as his did anger. He stayed quiet about the little room he found in the basement, but surely his attitude changed. The Weskers wondered why their son suddenly had more outbursts, but a newfound power to learn.

 **W/N: I have a feeling this chapter is slightly unfinished. I'll probably add more to the file that Wesker found. This is one of those chapters I conjured out of thin air (opposed to writing it on paper first) and I had to write some of it over again because it didn't save -slap!-**


	4. Dinner With Spencer

"Al!" Wesker heard his old friend shout from the back porch of the Spencer mansion. Peeking from the side of the building, he saw William running up towards him.

 _How does he always know where I'm hiding?_ Wesker asked himself, coming out from the bush he was basically camped in. Quickly, before Will noticed, he stomped his cigarette into the ground. Not that Will didn't know he was a smoker, but to save on the dirty looks, he hid it from him anyway.

"You know you're killing yourself, right?" Will snorted, no doubt smelling the lingering smoke.

"Isn't that the point?" Wesker grumbled, eyeing the manilla folder tucked into Will's armpit. He noticed Wesker's curiosity and handed the file over before it was virtually snatched out of his hands.

"This is her," William beamed, peeking at the first file entitled 'MAXIMUM RIDE', along with bright red letters indicating the contents are extremely confidential. "I've already read through it; I think you'll find her incredibly fascinating."

Wesker skimmed over the basics: name, height, location where she was found. Nothing stood out to him, until the second page, explaining exactly what abilities they have gathered. The next page after that, however, seemed to skip key parts in her history.

"Where's the rest?" Albert inquired, skipping to the last few pages, where there are photocopies of seemingly burnt pictures. Most pictures were of her flying; an incredible wingspan of at least fifteen feet across protruded from her back. His eyes widend at how different her bodily systems must have been than the average human. Most pictures seemed to be older; she wasn't how he saw her in the foyer. Plus, there were more bird creatures with her, all different ages.

"Most of it was destroyed by the American Government. Once they found the lab where she, and others like her, were created," Will clicked his tongue, "they wiped the whole facility out."

Albert almost laughed at the thought. They must have been stupid to not have the Government on their side, like Umbrella.

"Ain't that a bitch," he muttered, still mystified by the content of the photos. He snapped the unfinished folder shut and looked at Will. "What of the others?"

Disappointed, Will shook his head. "This is all recon found. What was left of her file and a half dozen singed photographs." He looked around, as if they were being watched. "And this."

William pulled out a strange stuffed animal from inside his lab coat, dressed like an angel. Or, what was left of one. You could barely tell it was once a bear. "This was also found at the scene. See how it has the name Angel? I doubt that's any coincidence, especially as her file mentions someone named Angel."

Albert lifted the bear's left leg: indeed, written in tiny handwriting, was the name Angel.

"You think they were in the explosion?" Albert asked.

"Recon mentioned there were footprints headed east, away from the explosion, but then it's as if they disappeared. I highly doubt some lowly scientists figured out how to teleport. Which means-"

"They flew," Albert finished his friend's sentence. William radiated excitement.

"Yes. There's more of them."

They stood in silence as Albert pondered the possibilities. He took the bear from Will's grasp.

"You mind if I hold onto this?"

"Sure. Just don't let anyone catch you with it."

That night, after spending hours in my room with no human contact (thankfully, on that end), a man named 'just Patrick, miss' arrived to fetch me from my room. This time I was taken into that decadent dining room I'd seen upon my first entry. Oswell, who stood at my presence, took a seat at one end of the unusually long table, and I was sat at the complete opposite end. I felt like there was miles of table disconnecting us, and I favored as being so far away from the nasty old man.

At each seat was a placement of silverware and plates, but I didn't see anyone joining us.

"So, Oswell," I said casually, gesturing at the empty seats. "You got family?"

Oswell laced his fingers and puts them below his chin. "I do not. A waste of time really, caring for someone other than yourself."

"That's nice," I mumbled, fidgeting with the butter knife next to my plate. "I was torn away from mine, by force."

Oswell eyed my fingers, not the least bit worried that I would throw it between his eyes as I dreamt of doing. "You'll see that being solitary is more favorable, Max. Others will slow you down, and make you more vulnerable. In fact, I bet you would have had a greater chance of getting away before my men came, if you weren't so distracted by those you love."

"Maybe you wouldn't be so cold if you had someone to love," I snapped, but nothing penetrates his shield.

Oswell paused, thinking. "Bickering isn't why I invited you to dinner. Please, let's enjoy our meal and discuss business."

My blood ran cold and I slouched in my chair as Patrick wheeled out two lidded meals. He delivered the first to Oswell, replacing the empty plate with a full one. Next is mine, and by God, I had never seen a meal like this before in my life. A simple mashed potato and steak, but it looks _just right._ Creamy potatoes and a juicy, medium rare T-Bone. I practically drool all over it.

Food lust almost took over, but paranoia set in first. I sat unmoved while Oswell quietly and slowly dug in.

"Don't worry, Max," Oswell assured me, dabbing at his mouth with his cloth napkin. "We wouldn't taint your system with any drugs."

I grabber my fork and dipped it into the potatoes, as if I didn't carefully, a bomb would explode. Not taking my eyes off Oswell, I brought the fork to my mouth and... _savor every last chew._ My expression melted into pleasure, and I continued until less than half of my steak was left.

Oswell had only just finished half of his steak, and a bit of potato, when he set his utensils down. "Maximum. Let's talk about you. How do you like the Mansion so far? Your room to your liking?"

"Quite drab," I replied with steak filling my cheeks. "My room, anyway. It could use some... decoration."

He laughed at my request. "Once we see your enthusiastic cooperation to our cause, I can set it up with anything you'd like, within reason."

I quit chewing and looked at him. "Anything?"

"Anything. Within reason." He reiterated.

I paused for a second and continued with my food. There's nothing he'd be able to get me anyway, save for my family, and I wouldn't want them 100 miles from this place.

"You're not very chatty. It's alright. I have plenty of questions for you."

"As do I." I set my utensils on my plate to signify completeness. Only a bone covered the length of my plate.

Oswell's smile grew. "What if we make a deal; you answer a question, and then you can ask a question."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. Where's Fang and Phoenix?"

Oswell tisked. "The deal was you answer a question first. Is that still alright?"

"Yes."

"Good. We'll start simple first. You already said you don't know anything about Umbrella Pharmaceuticals. Did the Itexicon Laboratory - the School, you call it - mention anything about us?"

"No. We weren't exactly clued in about confidentials."

My answer seemed to please him. "Alright. By our rules, it is your turn to ask a question. I have a hankering of what it'll be."

"You do. So answer it."

The conversation turned more serious. He lost the smile on his face. "It's a complicated situation, Maximum. We can't have them looking for you, now can we? Rest assured that dear Phoenix is unharmed."

My teeth grit so hard it was nearly impossible to get my next words out. "And what about Fang?"

Oswell sighed, and I can't help the tears running down my face. "That was your one question, and I answered it."

"Not completely!" I stood, rattling the plates as my fists slammed the table. Half a dozen guards ran in, lasers pointed directly at my head and heart. My fists backed down, but my anger did not.

"Maximum," he scolded, motioning me to sit down. "Your anger is misplaced. You can help us so greatly, being the first of your kind to be born. We can achieve greatness together. Please, sit down, and we can talk about how we can benefit each other. Besides, it's my turn to question you."

Feeling like it was a choice between sit or death, I complied. "Fine. What could you possibly want to know next? You clearly know plenty about me."

"Our file is incomplete as we were not able to retrieve it all from the destroyed Itexicon lab. We know of your bird siblings, but we were not able to retrieve anything about them as well. Tell me, how many of you were there?"

I swallowed thick mucus. "Six of us. Phoenix was the seventh."

Delight grew on him as I mentioned Phoenix. "Very well. Your turn."

"What do you do here?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that. In front, we are a Pharmaceutical company, but in the dark, we play around with eugenics. More recently, we've acquired a contract from the government asking for our help in particular matters."

My blood continued to boil, feeling as if I would soon vomit my meal. "And you say you're not evil."

"We have the intention of saving the human race. Only the best interests are in mind for the Earth's future. Someone evil would only want to destroy the Earth. I just have one more question for you, Maximum, and then you're free to ask your last question and return to your quarters. We were able to find several pictures of you, as well as snap a few of our own through reconnaissance, although I do believe you own more than you show. I'm very curious to hear the abilities you possess, in full."

My wings twitched underneath my shirt. "You've been spying on us? For how long?"

"You're free to ask that question after you've given me an answer I'm pleased with."

So many things he could use against me. The guards continue to point their weapons at me. "We can fly, obviously."

"I don't think that's a full answer, Max."

My fists clenched again. "That's pretty much it. We're not all that different from a regular human, you know."

Oswell read my expression, read through my lie, and snapped his fingers. Patrick re-entered, and handed him a thin file. He rifled through it, and slid across the table a picture of a dark figure in clear lake water. "You were underwater quite some time, almost fifteen impressive minutes, without coming up for air. You don't happen to be able to breathe under there, do you?"

Heart beating heavily in my chest, I inhaled. "I can hold it for a long time. Haven't you ever heard of practice?"

"For being so similar to a regular human, you've seemed to master this better than any Olympic swimmer."

I stayed stubborn. "I've told you what I have. Isn't it my turn?"

Oswell gestured to hand the picture back, and I slid it to him. He tucked it into the back of the folder and handed it off to Patrick. "Alright, Maximum. I'll take that answer. For now."

"Last question," I demanded, waiting a few seconds for dramatic effect. "Can you fuck off and die, or am I going to have to kill you myself?"

The question did not please him in the slightest, and I thought the bulging vein in the side of his forehead might've burst. Reading his mind, the guards lifted me from my seat. I didn't protest, but I stared Oswell down the entire time.

Expectedly, they threw me in my room, locking the door shut behind me. Also expectedly, I slammed myself on the bed and cried myself to sleep.


	5. Anaesthesia

"Good morning, Maximum," A voice called out loudly from an intercom. I jolted upright in bed, reaching for an alarm clock, and becoming homesick when I don't find one.

"What time is it?" I moaned, rubbing my eyes and sighing.

"Six o'clock sharp," the voice cheerily called, too cheery for this early hour. I groaned and stand. "Patrick will be in shortly with today's clothes."

Barely after he warned me, Patrick unlocked the door and strode in. Thankfully, I hadn't slept naked.

The reason behind my outfit bothered me. Patrick gave plain blue scrubs, the one nurses wear in a hospital. It could only mean one thing, but at least they had the decency to give me actual clothes. During experiments, the School's staff would leave me stark naked.

My arms shake as I undressed and slipped them on.

"Good God, those wings are incredible," I heard someone in the background say. I flipped around, facing the com.

"You can see me!?"

"Don't worry, Maximum. I'm married." The man in the back chuckled. "We're both intrigued, however. Er, not at your body."

"Speak for yourself, Will," the mystery man chimed, just loud enough for me to hear clearly, receiving a hush from who I can only now guess as William Birkin. I blushed and simultaneously get angry.

"Nevermind my pervert colleague. I'll be upstairs shortly, and then we can get started."

A few moments later, William stepped in my room, staying near the door.

"Ready?"

I reluctantly shook my head, and he gave me a sympathetic look for a split second. "I understand your concern, but trust me, things will go much smoother if you just obey. We can make your life more lavish than it's ever been."

Being without my family, half assuming they're dead anyway, the offer was almost tempting. But obeying didn't mean they wouldn't experiment on me. It would just be giving them permission to, and I'd rather die first.

"Not likely," I snapped while he led me into the main foyer of the mansion. We headed upstairs first before coming to an elevator that sent us down into the basement.

William sighed, and chuckled. "That's fine, Maximum. Sorry to say, but we'll be getting results either way."

 _You can't be that sorry,_ I pitifully thought to myself, dreading to see the inside of this basement. It went down even further, but instead of an elevator taking us lower, we switched to stairs.

"It's a security measure." William answerd my unvoiced question, sensing my confusion. "The lowest floor is where the lab is housed. Please, don't stray from me, and... try to not tap on any glass."

The lowest basement floor was mostly filled with frosted glass wall rooms, impossible to see their contents. I sense an incredible amount of dread and sadness, and from it, I almost vomited.

William obviously felt the same way, but had years experience blocking it out. His tone of voice changed, however.

"Back here is where we collect samples. Nothing intrusive today, Max. I can explain what we'll take, if you wish."

The room in the farthest corner was set up like an office, save for the table in the middle. I couldn't help but notice the restraints hanging off the sides. William led me past the table, to a chair specially designed for taking blood.

"Sure, enchant me with the details."

William invited me to sit, and I complied as he sat at a computer desk beside it. He checked whatever was on the screen and returned to me.

"Alright. Blood will be first, as is expected. The next part you're not gonna like. Oswell wants certain tissues biopsied. Lungs, skin, muscle, bone, and, well, your heart. It's really not as dangerous as it sounds, but-"

"What are you going to do with it?" I interrupted.

William cleared his throat. "We want to see how these cells are functioning compared to a human. You're a fascinating specimen with tons of secrets hidden away in that DNA of yours. It's actually quite a miracle Itexicon was able to perfectly graft a human with a bird. They knew some stuff we don't, for sure."

The vomit rose in my esophagus and I swallowed it down. The hatred of this evil came to light once again. "I don't want to know any more."

William nodded and types a few things before reaching into the desk and grabbing wrapped syringes and tubes. He snapped on latex gloves before unwrapping the tools, and I couldn't look directly at the needle.

"Put your arm up here," William instructed, and while I rested it in its place, a blonde headed man joined us in the room.

A confidence radiated off his body, like that of a lion who's hunting easy prey. His grin widened as he saw what William has started.

"Aw, I thought you'd wait for me before you got to the fun stuff," the man joked, walking over to his partner and nudging him on his shoulder. William rolled his eyes and keeps the needle from puncturing something other than a vein. Carefully, before the man made another move, he pushed the needle underneath the skin. Blood immediately poured in the tube.

"This is Dr. Albert Wesker, my assistant." he sneered the last word jokingly. "He's known for messing around at inappropriate times."

"Among other things," Albert said. He held out his hand for my free one to shake. "I've been thrilled to meet you."

"Can't say the same," I muttered, but keep my eyes focused on him to avoid concentrating on the procedure. William popped the full tube out, and replaced it with a fresh one.

A pair of sunglasses dangled down from the shirt under his lab coat, and his hand stuck back in his slack's pocket. Albert remained standing next to his partner until he finished.

"Take these to the receptacle, will you?" William gave the tubes off without a reply, and Albert begrudgingly complied. "So... this is the part you're not going to like."

My blood chilled as I glanced at the table, where I knew I was going to be laying in a matter of minutes.

"No. Nope. No thanks," I panicked, standing up and beginning to take off when Albert came back over and pushed me back down by the shoulders.

"Listen, Max. You see guards around? No? That's because I'm stronger than you. Yes, even you, the amazing bird girl." Albert said calmly. I glared into his eyes, but feel his strength on my shoulders. "Now please, we have work to do. You decide whether we strap you into that table or not.

"You'll also decide whether I use anesthesia to collect these samples, or keep you awake," William added smoothly, the last bit of sympathy gone. "You don't want to be awake for that bone sample."

Until now, I didn't notice my breath was ragged. My chest heaved up and down and sweat collected on my brow. Albert remained cold and calm. "Take your time to the table. He collected enough blood for you to be dizzy."

Albert lifted his hands so I could make my way to the table. It wasn't the loss of blood making my legs wobbly as I walked. Terrible memories flashed back of the School and their experiments, leaving me permanently scarred all over my body. They faded over time, but the worst ones are still dark and deep.

I laid down on the table, but violently grabbed Albert's jacket and pull him close. "You'd better restrain me from this part."

William exchanged a worried look with Albert but listened to me. I let go of his lab coat and rested my head. Albert, with gritted teeth, hooked up an IV to my arm cannula and began the saline drip, while William secured the restrains. I breathed heavy, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Count down from ten, Max."

"Ten, nine, eight, sev-" The sweet embrace of black unconsciousness enveloped me.

* * *

I had definitely thought I was being a good girl. They- _whoever,_ put me deliciously close to the specimen lab itself, in a tiny five by five feet cell. And by delicious, I mean I could smell the recently used lab. They must have bathed it in cleaner.

The cell is small but even worse, it's located underground. Especially for a bird girl like me, I could feel a great change in pressure between above and underground. The pressure squeezes me, and I feel like an empty water bottle, crackling at every slow second that passes by.

The drugs glazed me over like a donut. Fuck, I'm hungry.

I dragged my way over to the metal door, sore from the fresh wounds, and peeped out the tiny barred window. The lab was dark and empty, yet I could still feel multiple presences around me.

"Hey," I whisper, but really, it's barely a whisper. Like a whisper shout. "Is anyone there?"

"Mom?" A character shouts sorta loudly from the cell next to mine. I hear a large figure scramble to the door. "Is she here?"

"Just me," I chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint. I am a mother, though."

A dejected sigh came from her way. "It's alright. I should stop getting my hopes up."

My bottom lip becomes chewed meat. "How long have you been here?"

The silence is creepy, especially with the looming creatures that were quiet, but nearby.

"I don't know anymore."

I walk back to my bed and slump down on it. Her words echo through out my mind, but her voice gives me comfort. "You sound young, at least. You have your whole life ahead of you." _Just_ l _ook at me, an exemplary case of achieving freedom after so many years, and so many times in captivity. Well, I'm not a good case right now. But I am not going to die here._

"Longer than that," she replies. "You are young to me."

Older than 24? "You sound like a little girl."

"My voice has returned after many years. It hurt terribly, what they did, but they have seemed to restore some basic function."

I stare down at my thumbs, which look like stemmed mushrooms before I blink the hallucination away. "When you mean they..."

"They. The scientist boys. They've been here for as long as I have."

Utterly gloomy. The longest I had been in a lab was at the start of my life, up until around ten years old. Albert didn't look much older than me but he always had tricks up his sleeve. William, however, still had boyish charm.

"The cute ones?" I asked to confirm.

"The cute one, and the scary one."

I think I smiled myself to sleep. I don't really know how I even got into a laying position, but I was immensely thankful for whoever drugged me.

Finally, after nearly three decades on this Godforsaken planet, it feels as if I had finally come to an end. Not physically: the wounds from the surgery and Cerberus had completely healed. It was the girl, the woman, that had pulled the last string both mentally and spiritually. Umbrella makes Itexicon look like school girls.

There was so much evil in the world, I had thought to myself when I was younger. Good to know there's actually _so much_ worse.

I stayed huddled in the farthest cell corner all night long, presumably, until a guard came to get me.

"It hasn't been long enough for another treatment," I mutter, trying to shake off his grip. He pulls me to my feet anyway.

"On your feet," he orders. "Mr. Wesker wants to chat."

My feet barely lifted from the floor as I was surprisedly escorted past the specimen lab and taken to the elevator.

"He doesn't wanna have dinner, does he?" I moan sarcastically. Boringly enough, the guard stays quiet.

Sunlight poured into my poor unacclimated eyes once we reached the back door of the mansion. A patio, covered in greenery and flowers, spanned the entire backyard. Flatted grassland flourished around us, but albeit the monstrosity that happens deep beneath the gorgeous architecture, this was one safe looking haven. I knew, though. Knew what really happens.

Even further than the porch, down a few steps and across a rock paved path, sat a small gazebo. Spooky enough, and fairly consistent with Umbrella's mood, a cemetery across the entrance to the gazebo. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about my lifeless body ending up there at the end of the trials.

The first step outside made my wings twitch restlessly. They had a mind of their own, and they wanted to see the sun as much as I did.

The leaves of the shrubs lining the concrete porch nearly glimmered. I paused in my step to look closer, realizing it was the sheer pigment of the sunrays reflecting against the green. Their veins and sugar crystals were immediately clear. Surely, if I concentrated harder, I'd be able to see single cells.

The guard kicked me back into step, down a set of two stairs and on the walkway towards the back of the property. My breath steadied when he passed the iron gate of the cemetery, and we took a turn towards the gazebo.

Indeed, Albert Wesker was waiting for us, sitting on one of the wood wall beams. A cigarette bounced between his lips and another sat in his hand, relaxed against his thigh. Almost hungrily, I gazed down at the extra cigarette.

"Thanks, Hugo," Albert dismisses, and once I stepped onto the wood plank, the guard released my wrists. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," I groan, leaning against the farthest edge form him. It was hard to keep my eyes from that extra goodie between his fingers, and he noticed.

"Not what I mean," Albert replies, lighting the cigarette in his mouth and taking steps closer to me. "I'm assuming you want this?"

I reach out but apparently not fast enough. Albert snatched the cigarette back, but before I can complain, he gives me lis lighted one and lights what was mine.

"Thanks," I mutter, cleaning off his slobber from the filter. Never was I a daily smoker (after this, though, we'll see), but this puff was sweet relief and an awakening all in one. Parliaments, too. Not a cheap cigarette. "Never pegged you as a smoker."

"Likewise."

We rest quietly for a while, but I'm on edge, per usual. _Literally,_ on the edge of the gazebo! I crack myself up.

"What are your thoughts?" Albert asks me.

I stare blankly at the wood planks below our feet. "How old are you?"

"28. I'd ask you but I already know."

I scowl but fire my next question. "How long have you been working with Umbrella?"

"Since I was seventeen. Birkin was only fifteen."

"Christ. Smart kids."

"Something like that. You have to answer my question now."

"What? I did."

"No," Albert insists, his tone serious. "Concentrate. How does your body feel?"

"I nearly though a leaf was going to absorb my soul. Is that what you mean?"

"Shut up. Close your eyes. Listen internally."

"So while I was under, you pumped me with that fucking virus."

"Expect any different from us?"

I take an annoyed drag while casting sour glares Albert's way before doing as told, concentrating on the darkness of my eyelids.

The change was subtle, but definitely there. My heart beat stronger, even more confident than before. Voice that would take concentration to hear now easily eavesdropped on. The paper of the cigarette's filter had a grain on it that I had never noticed before.

Albert had to pull me from my new experiences daze. He shook my shoulder until I peered up at him.

Though my eyes were now open, looking into his eyes summoned clear as day visions of my neighbor cellmate through my head. Visions of Albert injecting her grotesquely warped arm, then fitting a medieval looking device onto the crown of her head. Once Albert started the extra-long tipped drill, I knew this vision had turned into a nightmare.

The woman's horrifying screams woke me from the dream. They still rung as I blinked her appearance away, and Albert's stoic face once again filled my sight.

Shrugging off his grip, which was now both hands on my shoulders, I stumble backwards off the step. "You're a fucking pig."

Coldly he stared right back at me. He put his cig in his mouth and shoved both hands in his pockets, his white lab coat waving around his skin. "That answers that."

I angrily flick my cigarette at him, the lit end intimidating him none as it bounces off its chest. It leaves a trail of smoke behind, still rising when it hits the ground.

Two guards rush my location as I briskly walk back to the porch. They try to apprehend me, but I shove them off. "I'm going!"

Exasperated at their continuous attempts and because one of them pulls a pair of handcuffs, my body goes into hyperdrive. I snatch the pair and stumble the guard, whipping the chain around his exposed neck and twisting the ends as hard as I could. He sputters significantly before the other guard rips my wriggling body from his back.

While I kick my way up on the porch, a handful of guards strut out to the lucky guy's aide. Much to my amazement, the prone guard does not recover nearly immediately. He lies prone and unmoving on his stomach.

"Jesus," a guard shouts. "Someone check on him!"

I'm dragged off before I see the fate of the guy, but in my stomach, the results are grim. Shackled from head to toe this time, I am thrown back into my cell. Lisa isn't there as I stare at the invisible blood on my hands.

 **W/N: Okay, I'm gonna admit something that's frankly embarrassing and perhaps insulting. For being such a large fan of Resident Evil, I've never played the games where these scenes take place. The first through third Resident Evil movies are actually what brought me to the lore in the first place, but I am the greatest fan of their origin. Although the movies somewhat stray from the original lore (not to mention the last few movies which I loathe), I've read and researched everything there is to know about the setting and characters. I've not yet watched playthroughs of these games, but it's definitely on my list. So if you see anything that's not quite right, especially the setup and descriptions of the rooms, PLEASE let me know. I will literally change the whole story around to be as accurate as I can.**

 **On a side note, I forgot to mention that I am taking Maximum's universe back a couple dozen years. She wouldn't have even been born in this era, so please excuse that contingency.**


	6. Cerberus

Walking up to the Spencer Mansion was quite a daunting task even for James Marcus, the estranged Umbrella head researcher first to employ Albert and William. His intentions were nowhere near innocent, but his curiosity rose at the news of the 'bird girl'. Every top researcher had been briefed electronically, James included, although he had been working on his own since his facility at the specialized research center closed ten years ago. In short, however connected to Umbrella Marcus seemed, he was a castaway from Oswell and his researchers. Visiting the mansion was risky in and of itself, but he was desperate to see the human and bird recombination.

Casually, he rang the doorbell to the mansion, without any indication he'd be visiting. Patrick, Oswell's esteemed butler, creaked the door open and poked his head out.

"Sir Spencer was not expecting any guests." Patrick went to shut the door on James, but his foot shot out to catch it in time.

"If you'll send for him, I would greatly appreciate it."

Patrick sure took his time thinking about this request. "Give me a moment."

James retracted his foot after Patrick nudged it a few times. Quickly, he slammed the door, and just a few moments later, Oswell reopened the entrance wider, to accommodate James' entry. "James Marcus, my old friend. Please, come in and we'll have a chat."

Oswell ushered him upstairs, to his office and library. The bookshelves themselves were packed completely, two stories high with a built-in sliding ladder. Oswell sat at his computer desk, and James sat across from him.

"I'm positive I know what this unannounced visit is about." Oswell began seriously, staring at James. He was never scared of intimidating eye contact, and James felt the heat.

"Of course! What man in my position wouldn't want a chance to ogle your fresh catch?"

Oswell grunted, annoyed but not surprised the intel has reached James. Next, he promised himself, he would remove James off the email list. "She's off limits for now, the stubborn girl. We had a fruitless chat last night, and I believe she'll be a hard case for us. Thankfully cooperation is never necessary."

James nodded in agreement, but continued his inquiry, until Oswell raises his hand.

"Listen, James. Once we're done with her, you can have a peek. She's just had her preliminary testing a few hours ago."

"What exactly do you have in mind, Lord?"

Oswell's infamous grin swept the entirety of his face, seeping out an invisible black swamp around them. "She is the perfect specimen to experiment the T-Virus upon. If it successfully grafts with her DNA, she will be the most powerful human in existence. Perhaps we'll harvest her blood afterwards, and save it for our admired colleagues to infuse with their own."

James reveled in the thought. "So you've perfected the virus?"

"My life's work is never done," Oswell sighed. "We're coming close, though. The successful infusion with her DNA will be the greatest leap forward. We've had some... accidents attributed to a non-working virus."

"So I've heard."

"How's yours coming along?"

"Not so great." James hated to lie to a former boss, but he had plans of his own. All of his work was on paper, to avoid Spencer getting his hands on it. "I'm at a block of sorts."

James' aforementioned block, whether it existed or not, could definitely be solved with a more powerful immune system than a human's. James was sure Oswell thought of the possibility of using her as a Bio-Organic Weapon, but Marcus reveled in all the possibilities she brought. By selling her to the government, he could be set for life.

Sir Spencer seemed to take the lie as truth. He nodded sympathetically and accessed his computer. After typing in a few things, he returned to James. "If you'd like, I can offer you a vial of her blood to hold you over. Is that satisfactory?"

James smiled and stood, pleased with the outcome of their meeting, even though he had liked to meet her. Eventually he will, he thought to himself, after shaking Oswell's hand and retreating back to the outside world.

William peeked into the main office of the mansion. His eyes widened at the surprise visitor, his old boss James Marcus. Almost instinctively, he thought about running to tell the news to Albert, but stuck around to hear little snippets of their conversation.

 _I can offer you a vial of her blood to hold you over. Is that satisfactory?_

Angry, and assuming Oswell was making a deal solely to please James, he rushed downstairs, to the elevator, and down to where Albert was working on the specimens.

"You'll never guess who I just saw," James breathlessly exclaimed. Albert practically shooed him away from the microscope he was peering into.

"Quiet, I'm working."

"No, really. James Marcus just had a meeting with Spencer. It doesn't take a genius to know what they were talking about.

Albert glanced up, peered into the distance, then returned to the lenses. "So what? His appearance was to be expected. For being the most secretive company in the world, everyone inside Umbrella knows about her by now."

William rose from leaning against the table, a strange gleam in his eye. He walked over to the computer, and lo and behold, there was a new order in the system. "Oswell promised James a vial of her blood."

Knowing what would come of that, Albert left the microscope and looked at the computer screen.

"So it is. What do you make of this, head researcher?"

William shook his head. "I don't like it. James always has something up his sleeve."

"Who doesn't in this business?"

William eyed him, but continued. "I suggest we send him a fake sample. Mess with her blood somehow."

Albert nodded in agreement. "Let's do it. Send him the blood first thing in the morning. We better go, we don't want to miss this showing."

"Finally we'll see what she can do."

-x-

A couple hours later my skin is nearly fully healed but my insides were still working on it. I sat in my room, book in hand, lounged back on the bed. Mistakenly, I thought I'd be left alone for the rest of the day, until three men bursted in.

"Doesn't anyone knock around here?"

"Oswell has sent us to retrieve you."

"Obviously," I muttered, closing the book and setting it in its place on the bookshelf. Panic mode set in when one of them pulled out the same bag I had over my head in the beginning.

My left leg instinctively kicked out and lands in the nearest man's stomach. He lurched forward and I quickly landed another kick to his head. While he laid cold, the two others charged me, pinning me against the far wall. I struggled against their grip, but to no avail.

"You're not putting that bag on my head," I spat.

"Orders of Oswell. You don't want to upset him."

"I don't give a shit about him!"

Blood vessels surely popped out of my forehead, but in classic Umbrella fashion, their faces remained stoic.

"We do," the other guard spoke, placing the sack over my head before easing their grip. I had the urge to scream my lungs out, but other than the pain, it would be useless.

They led me outside by both arms, to the front of the mansion. There, they shoved me into a vehicle, placed handcuffs around my wrists, and took off.

 _What could they possibly want now?_

We only drove 5 minutes before stopping. They dragged me out of the car, and I refused to walk, my feet dragging as they basically carried me onwards. We were still in the forest; I sense the closeness of the trees. Soon enough, I heard several dozen people nearby.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice muffled by the fabric.

"It's not so much where we're taking you, it's what you'll be doing while we're there," a guard laughed, making a tighter grip on my arm as he does so.

I felt my breath hit my nose, and the frigid November air made the hair on my arms prickle. The fresh air felt wonderful, if I wasn't certainly heading to my own doom.

 _Wings, Maximum. You can fly away._

 _No,_ I argued internally with myself. _They'll shoot me if I do._

 _You've been shot before. You'll live._

"Not to the head," I studied to myself. Maybe it would be better if I was dead, that way they wouldn't get what they want.

The people got louder. I could tell they're cheering now, as well as talking amongst themselves. We stopped in the middle of the crowd, to the side, and I noticed there was _another being._

Almost human, but definitely inhumane. I wondered if it was just Oswell's evil stench.

"Welcome," I heard Oswell talk over the crowd. "This is the girl you've all heard about, in all her glory. Please, take a seat, and we'll get started."

The crowd shuffled into their seat. Once everyone quieted, Oswell spoke again. "We've got a special treat for you today. We're going to see how Maximum fares against one of our BOW's."

 _What the hell is that?_

The guard snapped off the bag, along with the handcuffs, and I shrieked at the sight in front of me. In a cage, laying but alert, was some type of mutant dog. Once he set his eyes on me, saliva bubbled at his snout. It bit the metal cage, feverishly trying to get its prey.

Looking to the west, like I expected, a half a dozen sat in risers, all decked in lab coats. The guards that dragged me here stepped in line with the others, guarding the entrance to the clearing in the south. They got their weapons to a ready.

"Max, let's see how you fly first. Appeal your lovely audience a demonstration."

One of the guards, the one I knocked off his feet, walked over to me with a knife in hand. He slashed two gaping holes in the back of my shirt.

Awkwardly, I unfurled my wings, squeezing past the holes in the scrubs. Gasps and whispers rose from the people.

"Hover for us," Oswell demanded, more pleased by the second.

My wings flapped slightly, and my feet lifted off the ground. This was my chance for escape. I covertly looked into the distance, behind the trees, and figure they'd be my cover. But my wingspan was over fifteen feet: I'd never be able to squeeze through and escape fast enough.

"Good job, Maximum. Here's the real test. This fellow's named Cerberus. He'll kill you if you let him," Albert added.

Oswell sat in front of the group of scientists, with William to his left and Albert to his right. They had sickly smiles on their faces except William, awaiting the battle. Albert had a box in his hand, with a big red button on the top. With a slam of his fist, he opened a gate to the cage, and little puppy Cerberus leapt on me the first chance he got.

With my wings still out, I landed on my back, the dog on top of me. All my strength kept the dog from snapping my skull into pieces. I blinked against the onslaught of dog spit dripping on my face.

Straining, I managed to hook my legs around the dog's waist and yank outwards, sending him flying across the field. He hit his cage with a sickly thud, but got back up on four legs.

I used the opportunity to stand, awaiting the next attack. My ribs were killing me both by the force of the dog and the medical procedure. At this point, I'd be glad to be back at the school. Mutant dogs are too much for me, man.

There were parts of him with no flesh, only exposed muscle, but it didn't seem to phase him. Indeed, he charged me again, this time angrier. His head was a small target but I managed to land a kick on his jowls, essentially only slapping him across the face. He was one mad pup.

I wasn't quick enough to retreat my leg. He snapped his head to his left and sunk his teeth into my calf. I hollered out, and the crowd excitedly yelled with me. Blood was running dripping down as I tried to wiggle loose, but it was just ripping up more skin. He started dragging me away, to eat his prey in solitude, and my nails scratched the dirt floor.

At least I could match his strength. I whipped around to lay on my back, and attempted to pull my leg forward close enough to reach him with my hands. Once I could get a good grip, my fingers locked around his neck and squeezed.

Finally he released my leg, the cold air stinging my wound. I scampered away to get distance between us, and scrambled to my feet.

Pain radiated through my calf but I remained calm. Defense was not a strong suit for the Cerberus. He lunged toward me again, but this time, I'm not off guard. As he jumped, I tackled him again. His head snapped back and forth, attempting to bite, but I sat on his back and scissored my legs around his neck, squeezing and twisting my thighs at the same time. To get the strength to snap it, I had to twist my torso, but it was worth it: several gnarly crunches later and the poor pup was lying dead.

Adrenaline flowed through me like acid, absolutely radiating from my fingertips. My breath was sparse, but I didn't care. I faced the silent researchers.

" _That_ is what you make?" I shouted at them. "I've fought stronger at fourteen years old and didn't even have to kill them!"

No one had a smile. No one but Albert Wesker.

Some of them whispered quietly to their partners. Some even took notes. But the three in the middle did nothing.

"Take her back." Oswell finally demanded. "Lock her up in the lab."


	7. Albert Wesker

"Come look at this," Albert ordered William, who qas working on his own sample. He stepped away from the microscope and let William have a peek.

After playing with a few dials, William felt puzzled. "It's strange. Some of the virus is binding, but other strands aren't."

"It's that two percent of bird DNA," Albert explained, receiving worried nods from Will. "There's nothing we can do now."

Will shrugged and returned to his work. "You said it best. Nothing we can do."

Albert, shocked by the casual demeanor of his partner, followed him to his table.

"You're saying to let her die? Perhaps the last of her kind? Hmmph, it's unlike you. Maybe me."

Will sighed, and looked up at Albert. "What do you suggest, then? We already have her blood. That's all we need to make more."

Albert shook his head. "She's a perfect specimen. Itexicon knew how to graft embryos with bird DNA. The government is already paying us billions to make weapons, they won't shell out any more for a field we aren't specialized in."

"Why are you so worried about her, anyway?" Will muttered, continuing his work.

"Whatever."

From this response, William laughed. "Don't tell me you fancy this girl?"

"I 'fancy' this girl as... a human worth being on Earth."

William bellowed again, harder. "I never thought you were capable of regarding someone higher than yourself."

Albert scowled, turning away. _I was created to rule the earth alone,_ he thought to himself. But would it be so bad to have someone of an equal power by his side?

 _Revolting... perhaps not_...

The computer dinged, signaling a new message, and William didn't seem bothered. In quite a bad mood from their conversation, Albert huffed while checking the screen. He blinked against what he just read.

"William," Albert asked, "am I reading this right?"

Distraught, William strolled to the desk and read the message. He had to read it twice. "Huh. What an odd request. Looks like the Boss wants to see what she can do in her newly state."

"Yeah, a state of something," Albert smirked, thinking it would be no challenge. He boiled with excitement; he hadn't fought anyone in months, apart from a wandering homeless man who neared the mansion. This was somewhat of a new challenge for him.

The message read: _I'm interested to see what Maximum can do against you, Albert. I know she's in poor condition but once that adrenaline of hers kicks in, I'm almost positive she can kick your ass. Do it in the courtyard, so I can watch remotely. -Oswell_

The boys collected Maximum at once. She lie in bed, a fluid bag strung on an IV rod. Her wrist was bent at an awkward angle due to the handcuffs chaining her down. At the time, she slept, but Albert rushed to her bedside and shook her shoulders.

"Let's get moving. Oswell wants-"

Albert's sentence was swiftly silenced with a swinging fist, connecting straight to his jawline. He stumbled back, shocked, but laughed off the pain.

"I guess I deserved that."

Maximum shot straight up in bed, her brown hair matted around her head like a halo. "You don't do that!"

A speck of blood dripped down his chin. He wiped it away, and straightenes himself. "I learned my lesson."

William was practically rolling on the floor with laughter. "She got you good!"

Albert glared at him, but began to roll her IV bag. "You're in quite the hysterical mood today, William. Maximum, if you'll come with us."

She didn't get out of bed, even when the hoses tugged at her arm. "It's not time for the virus yet."

Patiently, but internally impatient, Albert waited. "It's not that. Just a simple test, of your strength, if you will."

Max looked more terrified than before. "You are not making me fight one of those beasts again."

William was only now recovering from his laughter. "You can call him that."

After a few moments of silence, Albert jerked his head towards the door. "Come on, I'll go easy on you if you want."

-x-

"No, nonono," I whined, ignoring the feverish look Albert gave me. I held up my hands, in case he attacked. "I really, really, don't want to fight you."

A certain blood lust entered Albert's eyes, like a wild animal who can't stop once they've begun. He walked slowly closer, one step at a time. "Pretty please, Maximum? I'd love to see how you fare against me."

My heart began to thump in my chest. Sweat illuminated my forehead and palms, and my body burns. Once he's in range, I lashed out my leg, my signature move, stumbling when he caught it out of the air.

"You're not catching me by surprise this time, sweetheart."

Albert gave my leg a quick turn, whipping my body around. My stomach hit the ground, and air was forcefully pushed from my lungs with an oof!

Flashbacks of fighting the Cerberus emerge while my nails collected dust from the dirt ground as he dragged me. I looked to William for any sort of help, but he shook his head, not exactly sad this is happening. He acted like a passive observer.

"Maximum," Albert tsked, letting my leg go after dragging me back to the middle of the courtyard. "You used that same move on the Cerberus. Not very smart considering I watched you the entire time."

I gritted my teeth and got back to my feet. In a common fisticuffs stance, we both raised our fists and circled around each other, looking for a weak moment. Albert never showed one, but neither do I.

I go to swing my right fist, and he expected to block it, but instead, I hook my left fist above his right arm, catching him near the eye.

Immediately he retaliated, leaving me no time to recuperate. With one fist right after the other, he popped me two good ones on my jaw and the side of my head. I stumbled back, angry I gave him the opportunity.

"There's that shine in your eyes!" Albert exclaimed. "Now, be serious. This is getting boring."

I charged him, quick enough to be a blur, and took him down with a trip of his leg. Luckily he fell, guarding himself with his forearms, but I got off a few punches before he was able to toss me off.

"Jesus, what do you weigh, ten pounds?"

"I'm lucky if I get past a hundred!"

We both rose to our feet and went at each other, blocking every move that came our way. Eventually, we were so quick that we started to pant from the exertion.

I decided to get the upper hand. I unfurled my wings with a snap, and William had to move to avoid being flapped in the face. The move didn't surprise Albert, but he had to fight to keep his concentration.

You'd be amazed at how fast I can move around with my wings. Albert sure was, as I zipped around to face his back, and striked him in the spine with my knee.

"You bitch!" Albert yelled. "That's an illegal move!"

I pushed him so hard he tripped on his own feet and landed flat on his face. I dropped down on his back and grabbed a tuft of his neat blonde hair. Lifting his head, I whispered in his ear. "So is eugenics."

My finishing move: I smashed his head into the ground until blood bursted out of his nose. He's lucky I didn't break anything by the time William rushed to his aid.

Will pulled me off of Albert's back, and, if I'm to be frank, I am quite pleased with my performance. Albert waved William away, and stood to face me.

"I've never met my match before," Albert said, and I could almost hear a bit of respect in his voice.

I looked up at him defiantly. "Is the big man humbled?"

Albert smiled, a real, genuine smile, even if blood stained the edges of his lips.

"William, you can go home. I'll take her back to her room."

Rightly worried, Will stepped closer to Albert. He took him by the arm, and led him to where he thinks I'm not in earshot.

"Please don't have sex with her."

Albert bursted with laughter, in a better mood than he had been in a long time. "Oh, I know I can dominate her in bed. Don't worry, friend. I just want to have a chat."

 **W/N: Okay so there's way WAY less chapters than I thought there would be. I condensed most of them, and it's looking to end up having 9 chapters in total. Don't fret! The next installment will have more of basically everything, as this story is pretty much just the prologue to that one.**

 **I am literally so stoked to write the second installment because that one is the one I've been conjuring up for years. That one will be hella more fun to write and read!**


	8. Escape, Perhaps (Revised)

I sat in the same chair familiar to me from my first day, where William took my blood, before they strapped me to the table. The sickly feeling of the virus entering my blood stream was familiar to me at this point too, and as haunting as it was, it wasn't going to leave my memory anytime soon. I leaned back and closed my eyes until Albert entered the room.

"Almost done for the day," he said, examining the bag of fluids draped over the IV stand. He walked over to the computer and stayed there for a few moments, idle and alert.

"What's on your mind, champ?" I asked dramatically, putting on the mom charade I know so well.

Albert glanced at the door before speaking up. "The virus... what I feared would happen... is happening."

The urge to rip out my IV line was incredible, but it was already too late, as the bag had depleted its contents into my system.

My face lost blood flow. "Why didn't you say this before, oh, I don't know, you decided to strap me up to another dose?"

"William doesn't want you to know, nor does he care about it. They can stand to make a lot of money off you. Sell you to the government once things end badly." Albert casually took out the needle and wrapped a bandage around my arm. "Oswell wants to continue the trials until-"

"Until what?" I demanded, my hands balling into fists. "I turn into one of those creatures?"

"It wasn't my idea."

"And you're doing a whole lot to stop them," I sneered. "I have a family waiting for me. Doesn't that mean anything to you, you heartless, shitty asshole?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Albert muttered, sliding the desk chair over and stopping next to me. "But I need you alive."

Albert's tone could almost be mistaken as sympathetic, but there was something deeper. He took a deep breath.

"It's a long story, and if I tell you now, you're probably not going to want to see me ever again. Just trust that I'll need your help in the future."

"What makes you think I'll be willing to help you?"

"Incentive," Albert claimed, glancing at his wristwatch. "That, and you'll have to repay me for what I'm doing today. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a visitor."

My mouth hung open as he exited the room, and before shutting the door, he placed a key card in the door jam. All is eerily quiet, until I heard the doorbell to the front door ring. Alas, even my sublime hearing had to stretch to make out what the guest was saying.

 _We had an agreement!_ The mysterious voice exclaimed. _You gave me counterfeit blood!_

I know it wa Oswell next to speak. I could pick that voice out of a crowd. _James, please. I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding._

 _I didn't know your scientist boys were so stupid. My instructions were pretty clear._

James' condescending tone radiated out of his mouth. I could almost picture Albert lunging at the man.

 _Let's talk somewhere private and make a deal._

 _I want to see her now, since you've betrayed our original deal. It's only fair, Sir Oswell._

 _Maximum isn't taking visitors right now, she's just begun the trials. Come back when you've heard of our success._

The front door slammed shut, and I eased the muscles in my back. Breathing quietly, I leaned back and rested my head against the wall. My eyelids grew heavier by the second.

Just before I dozed off, a terribly loud alarm went off in the hallway. My hands covered my ears, but I instantaneously jumped out of the chair and snatched the card from its place, my foot keeping the door from shutting.

The sweet taste of freedom, I'll never get old of you. I could practically feel it on my tongue as I ran down the hallway. My near photographic memory aided me with the twists and turns of the basement lab, until I reached an elevator operated by a card reader.

Like a glove, the white and red card slid into the slot, and a light dinged on the arrow pointing down. Waiting for it to come down seemed like an eternity, but soon enough, the doors allowed my entrance.

Once my ride was over, I entered the foyer. I had to quickly duck behind a high backed chair. Guards swarmed the room, talking loudly amongst their teams before rushing out the open front. Gunfire ensued, a heavy barrage for just one man.

Once the coast is clear, I made a brave run for it, anyone with a gun too damn busy to care about me.

My beeline was immediately blocked by a tall, older man who had a raveneous look across his high cheekbones.

"Maximum," James, the creepy man from before, sneered, inching closer to me as if I would disappear if he didn't get close enough. "You don't know me yet. I'm James Marcus, once an employee under Oswell Spencer. Listen: he had a deal with me that he didn't quite commit to, so I'm here to receive my dues."

No doubt I could outrun this wrinkly old dude. I jetted out the front door before he even batted an eyelash, but what qas waiting for me was almost as bad as running into James's arms.

Umbrella's security was being obliterated by Cerberuses. Bodies lay all around the driveway leading to the porch, blood spattered across the rose bushes. To my left I saw a garage, and make one more run for my life.

All of them stopped feasting on the downed guard's bodies and ran right towards me. I barely got to the garage door on time, just to see the looming keypad waiting for me, no card reader in sight.

I cried out and pound an array of random numbers with my fist before a dog snatched my ankle and pulled me from under my feet. He made it obvious to his pack that this meal was only his, and began dragging me towards the forest.

My own screams fillled my mind as the rabid dog dragged me across pavement, my nails not standing a chance to hook onto something this time. The Cerberus clamped tighter the more I tried to resist.

He dragged me down the driveway, to where the forest and cleared land meet, and then made a sharp turn into the trees.

Finally, I had enough traction, and I dug my free foot into the dirt. Eventually, I caught a tree root, and with all my force bearing down on it, my leg slipped out of the beast's mouth. A scream tried to escape my closed mouth as his teeth tore flesh on the way off.

My leg bled profusely, but I gave the dog three deadly blows to the face with my bare feet. I have to admit, it felt pretty good to be badass again, sorely missed from spending the last few years domestic.

The wound was a different story. Once I made sure the Cerberus was down for good, I inspected the damage. An important artery gushed bright crimson onto the dirt below me, every pound of my beating heart letting more out.

Tearing off what was left of my pant leg, I fashioned a tourniquet above the gash. Flying was now out of the question. Cardiac exercise would just quicken the inevitable.

Standing was excruciating. I willed myself to my feet anyway and balanced against a thin tree trunk. I could sense the blood around me, not just my own, but the dead bodies surrounding the mansion. I walked away from the bloodshed, slowly but surely, hoping there was a main road nearby, and that I could get to it before fainting.

Every step marked my location, leaving a trail of blood behind me. I hadn't made it very far before I hear two pounding feet headed in my direction.

There was no use of running now. My energy was zapped. I slouched on a tree before completely falling over, missing the ground by inches as arms fly out to catch me.

"You sure took a hit," Albert chuckled. "I thought you had wings?"

"Doesn't work when you're a wingspan away from a flesh eating dog."

I grunted as he lifted me and started walking toward my destination.

"You're lucky I have this planned out. We have a car waiting for us."

I was lucky to be alive, but I knew that could change any moment now. Blood escaped my body while I nodded in and out, bouncing in his arms.

"Maximum, wake up. You're in the car. Marcus parked his van nearby, I'm going to check it out. Hang in there."

Next thing I saw was the black fabric of the backseat, completely stained where my legs laid. It took several seconds to focus on the pattern of the fibers.

"I'm bleeding out, you fool!" I called out weakly, but he is already gone. My feet are propped up against the window I looked out of. When I tried to sit, a heavy object falls off my stomach and onto the floor.

A pistol shines silver in the sunlight and I grasped the handle gently, sliding the clip out to reveal a full load of bullets.

My ears perked as I heard footsteps toward the car, different from Albert's heavy step. I pointed the pistol at the door, expecting the worst.

The worst is what I received. James stepped to the window, hands up, signifying the absence of a weapon. I kept mine as steady as possible as he creaked the door open.

"Oh, Maximum," James purred, placing his hands beside my legs on the seat."Let us have a small chat. C'mon, put the gun down."

"Never," I snapped, my finger wavering against the trigger. Truth be told, I had never shot someone. Fang kept guns in the house, against my advisement, and I had agreed to at least learn the basics in case of emergencies. His extensive knowledge on guns both fascinated and worried me, but what I learned never faded. In fact, it shone as bright as a vision as I stuck the barrel closer to James's head. "You get away from me."

"You're just so amazing, Max. You can't blame a man like me. You think you can trust Albert Wesker more than you can trust me?"

I pulled out the card. "He's the reason why I'm here right now. You just want me to transfer prisons."

James crept closer until his knees were touching the seat. My gun was forcibly moved back with his forehead.

"The great Wesker freed you, huh? And for what reason do you think?"

I stammered over my words. "He says he'll need me later, but I'm not planning on answering his call, if you get my drift."

"What Albert wants, Albert gets," James slithered, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. "Haven't you noticed by now? Albert is their prized piece. William is only lead researcher by title, but it is Albert who will take their company to new heights. Wont you guess why that is? It hits very close to home for you."

Before I am able to reply, he bellowed. "You see, he too was part of a genetics program! Except instead of introducing another species, he was built to be the apex human, one to rule them all. He showed great promise over the other Wesker children, which is why he felt the deep and strange inclination to seek out the Umbrella Corporation. Albert was specifically engineered to help rid the earth of undesirables so only the strongest humans survive."

My breathing becomes erratic as I feel a blackout coming. The metal in my hand sways against the weight of gravity and my failing muscles.

"But wait, there's more!" James continued fanatically. "Once the human population has dwindled, he will continue to weed even further. His serum - Virus, you're used to calling it - will be finished. It will be dispersed into every human still living, and only those who are the very strongest can survive. They will be as powerful as Albert claims to be. The ones that don't make it, however... well, Cerberus is a good example."

"You're lying!" I shouted. Only the devil could come up with such an evil plan, and an even more evil man to execute his will. In James's voice, they way he spoke, though a bit delusional, I could tell he was telling the truth. It was too horrible to believe.

I collapsed under the pressure of immense darkness, and every blink brought me nothing. I decided to pull the trigger, but my finger was frozen in place.

Before the black consumed me, I gained one last will of muscle to slam the trigger, and the ring of the gunshot remains in my ears while I fell fast asleep.

 **W/N: My hiatus was nothing if not productive! I re-wrote this entire chapter, which is the second to last chapter in this installment. I didn't like where the first revision was taking me and I felt unexcited and unmotivated to write the very last chapter. With this version, however, it landed exactly where I wanted it to!**


	9. The Last Chapter

The ring in my ears was replaced by a beeping machine. I recognized it as my slightly faster than normal heart beat. Between the darkness, I thought for sure I was dead.

I slowly opened my eyes, not sure if the hospital staff had gotten a good look at me. They must've drawn blood in case a transfusion was needed on account of my gaping wound. I peeked under the blanket and discover my leg had fully healed.

The dry erase board in front of my bed read January 4th, only two days after I escaped.

 _I escaped,_ I realized in awe, looking out my window to see the fateful mountains over a hundred miles away. It felt like I could breathe fresh air again, nevermind the air quality of the city. The only thing left was to escape the hospital.

The second I started to jump out of bed, a friendly looking nurse knocked lightly and walked in. I stay put for a little while longer.

"Good morning," she chimed, checking the chart at the end of the cot. "How are you feeling?"

"Good enough to leave. When do you think I can do that?"

"You've suffered major damage to your right leg," she explained, her eyes widening as I swung my legs over the side and began to stand. "Your muscles will need time to-"

Her sentence dropped when I walked around the room, pulling wires and the IV line away from me as they stretched from their origin. I peered over to the couch and saw a neatly folded pile of clothes on the cushion and an unfamiliar backpack sitting on the floor.

"Do you know who brought me here?" I asked while grabbing the blue jeans and underwear from the pile. I cursed Albert's name as I examined the lace thong, but slidit on anyway, and then the jeans. The nurse's face grew pale.

"Yes. Mr. Wesker has secured your safe stay and departure. He mentioned you were different..."

Her voice trailed as I slipped off the hospital gown and exposed my wings to her virgin eyes. Although my back was turned towards her while I pulled the strapped shirt over my head, her heart was racing faster than mine.

Last were the jacket, socks, and shoes. Luckily, Albert left me combat boots rather than heels, which I wouldn't have been surprised about after the look of the thong. I put all three items on in order and turned to face her.

"You act like you've never seen a mutant before," I laughed, but my face turns cold. "I trust you're going to tell no one I was here."

She stammered over her words, looking from my face, to my leg. She held the chart tightly in her hands. "He has paid a great sum to keep this quiet. There will be no record of you ever staying. Your chart will be shredded."

I nodded, pleased with her answer, but also suspicious. I didn't know Albert had that kind of money. "Thank you."

She simply nodded, took the paper from the clipboard, and left the room. Poor girl, I probably scarred her for life, forever wondering what kind of creatures roam the streets around her. If only she knew. Hell, before I was captured, I thought for sure us bird kids were the only mutants.

Taking a seat on the couch, I unzip the worn backpack, finding the contents nearly empty. At the very edge sat a bag of some sort, and a piece of folded paper nearby. I grab the piece of paper and unfold to see a hastily written note.

 _Maximum,_

 _Don't panic, but get out of Denver as fast as you can. James Marcus is no longer a threat, but Spencer will be. He's already livid that you've "somehow" gotten free. He doesn't know I'm behind it, and I've sworn William to secrecy. Fang is dead, I'm sorry. Your daughter is still alive. Use this time to find her. When I need you, I will find you. The money will last if you're smart._

Albert Wesker's signature sat on the bottom, but the tears down my face smudge the ink. I wiped my nose, reading Fang's outcome over and over again until the words blurred. I read the next sentence, about Phoenix. A fire cracked in my heart, no doubt in her name. This time, I wasn't stopping until my baby girl was found.

Once I promised myself, I lifted the weighted bag and unzipped the top. I chuckled, not believing my eyes. One hundred dollar bills packed the insides, nearly ripping the bag at the seams. There must've been at least fifty thousand dollars tightly squeezed together.

I quickly zipped the bag, and then zip the backpack, securely strapping it over my shoulders. I wiped my face from wetness left over.

I made myself one last promise before I leave. I would never let anyone else capture my heart again.


End file.
